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Tag: passport process

You’ve thought about it for years, telling your friends, “Italy seems nice” or “I’ve always wanted to visit Australia.” and now it’s time to put your money where your mouth is and see the world.

The first thing you’ll need to do: Get a passport.

This is a part of my How To Travel Solo seriesof blog posts. As time goes on, I’ll have more posts in the series and different series’ to help organize my blog and make it easier for visitors to navigate.

Because I’m American, I’m going to summarize the American Passport System and the process for legal U.S. citizens. If you’re renewing your passport, you can do so here

What is a Passport?

Simply put, a passport is a government issued document that lets you travel to other countries. As long as you’re older than 16 when you apply, it’s valid for 10 years.

A passport usually has the following identifying information in it:

Your name

Your nationality

Your picture

Your date of birth

Your signature

The moment you reach a new country you are required to present your passport to Customs and Border Officials. In most cases, No passport = no entry.

There is a process (which takes time) and a fee to obtain a passport, which is all described below.

How to Apply for a Passport

Applying for a passport can seem daunting at first. You might have all these ideas in your head of how it’s a process and it’s going to be so much work. You may also be thinking about this huge decision you’ve decided to make.

I mean, you’re about to set off and see the world. Who wouldn’t be at least a little nervous to take such a monstrous leap?

Good news! It’s easier than you think.

Your first step is to find some documents. Here’s what you’ll need:

Proof of Citizenship – Your birth certificate is your best bet. You’ll also need a photocopy if this.

Identification – Have a driver’s license or other State-issued ID? Bring that along with a photocopy of it.

By doing all of these steps before you visit the office, you’ll save yourself a ton of time and a headache or two.

In Conclusion

This blog post was a way for me to better understand the passport process before I apply for a passport myself while simultaneously building the website one post at a time. Some of the information may be inaccurate so please use the official Department of State website to avoid any problems you may face while applying for your passport. It’s where I found most of the information posted here.